Bulletin - Vol 8 No. 5 September/October 2005

International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend

Over the past 7 years, International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend (ILLW) has grown to over 370 lighthouses in some 51 countries around the world participating in the event. The event is always held on the 3rd full weekend in August and it coincides on the Sunday with International Lighthouse Day.

A variety of events, primarily radio operators working near the lighthouse, were organised at nearly 30 lighthouses around Australia - visit the ILLW website for the full list. Representatives from Lighthouses of Australia Inc attended some of the activities, and reports from the weekend's activities are documented here.

• Cape Cleveland, QLD
• Point Perpendicular, NSW
• Point Perpendicular & Green Cape, NSW
• Green Cape, NSW
• Cape Otway, VIC
• Point Hicks, VIC

Cape Cleveland

by Bill Carter, LoA member

It was my great pleasure to be invited to Cape Cleveland lighthouse, 12km south-east of Townsville, along with three radio operators from Townsville Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Steve White VK4JUS, Les Steel VK4ALS, and Gavin Reibelt VK4ZZZ, for International Lightship & Lighthouse Weekend 2005.

The radio operators were in contact with many lighthouses around Australia, a couple in New Zealand and one in South Africa.

The two keepers' houses and surrounding area are now leased by Ray Boundy of Townsville, who has a mighty task of refurbishing this picturesque place, due to damage done by vandals, it seems. 

Members of my family came along for a camping weekend, which we all enjoyed in the fine and sunny weather. Ray and his willing crew transported us over to the cape on his trusty little barge, as there is no access by road, and brought us all home on Sunday - my sister Ruth and brother Pat (we were all at Cape Cleveland as children) with his wife Jean, Ruth's daughter Annette and her son James, aged 4.

The keen fishers caught their meal for Saturday night, and we were entertained by three pods of whales swimming by below the headland on Sunday.

I wish Ray well, and hope he can get all the help he needs, as his proposed venture should go a long way towards promoting and preserving another of our magnificent lighthouses.

Email Bill Carter

Point Perpendicular

by Jessica Clifford, daughter of Ian Clifford, LoA NSW Representative

Warning: unexploded bombs

"Great. This is just great." That was the one thing running through my mind as we drove up a very muddy road in the pouring rain.

I had been to Point Perpendicular lighthouse before. The lighthouse is located at the southern end of the Beecroft Peninsula Naval bombing range on the Northern side of Jervis Bay. That was to watch the centenary relighting in 1999. Six years later, on the 20th of August 2005, here I was again to watch this beautiful infrastructure illuminate the horizon once more to mark International Lighthouse & Light Ship weekend. 

While I can't say I was thrilled about the weather that afternoon, nor about the fact we were staying in an old dusty "cottage", I was happy about being there with my family to watch the south-coast lighthouse that guided ships for over ninety years, before being replaced by an ugly automated solar light, awaken.

Dad is the lighthouse man in our family. He runs around here and there taking care of lighthouses all over Australia, as well as photographing them. It is through his passion for lighthouses, that mine was inspired.

I never really used to like them very much. I guess that was because when dad said lighthouse it usually meant long walks through dangerous terrain in million-degree heat. However gradually, I too have developed an interest.

So standing on the balcony of Point Perpendicular lighthouse that night, looking all the way back to my hometown, Kiama and seeing it's light flashing was a very surreal moment. It was the kind of moment that poetry is made of. 

The moon rises behind the lit old tower, whilst the new lattice tower remains in darkness Photo: Ian Clifford

Dad was on one side with his glass of red wine and mum was on the other. My brother was busy trying to determine which lighthouses back up the coast were which. The rain had gone and the southerly winds of the afternoon had eased to light southerly breezes. Just enough to blow away the cobwebs and leave you feeling totally revitalized.

Even staying in the lighthouse cottages was absolutely fantastic contrary to my first impressions. As it turned out, they were beautiful and well kept. It was hard to believe that over one hundred years ago there would have been people doing exactly what we were doing. Watching the lighthouse.

From my window, I could see the beams rotating around the headland and back out to sea. They were absolutely magnificent. I felt truly privileged to be able to feed my love for the ocean, nature and lighthouses all at the same time.

And as we drove out the gates late Sunday afternoon, although the signs which said "Warning: unexploded bombs" were still worrying me, It occurred to me how lucky I had been to experience such a beautiful moment in time. It was a truly fabulous weekend and one that I hope may be repeated sometime in the future.

Email Jessica Clifford

Footnote: Ian Clifford relit the light at Point Perpendicular as part of the International Lightship & Lighthouse Weekend celebrations. He also set-up the Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse to shine over the three nights of ILLW. Garry Searle was at Point Perpendicular to record the event, which recognises the heritage significance of the site and its long association with the RAN. Defence has been committed to the continued repair and restoration of the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse and associated buildings, which are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage register. 

Point Perpendicular & Green Cape

by Garry Searle, LoA SA Representative

ILLW is fast becoming my favourite weekend of the year.

Although from Adelaide, I flew to Sydney (a well-timed business trip) and then drove the 1200km round trip to Eden.

On the way I stopped in at Point Perpendicular, just south of Nowra; the main reason for my trip. I cannot resist an opportunity, to see close up, a lighthouse doing what it was designed for. This takes on a very special importance when it is a light that has sadly been extinguished. Ian Clifford has done a wonderful job organising the re-lighting of Point Perpendicular. For one special night it would come out of retirement and relieve the ugly scaffolding tower it was replaced by. 

I was more then happy to help clean the dust and grime from its beautiful Fresnel lens, tainted by 6 years of inactivity since its last lighting. As darkness fell, the light and sound of the huge lens was a magical experience. You could almost sense its laughter as it shone over its darkened successor. Hopefully Ian's efforts will pay off and it will be lit more often.

Ian inspects the lens for dust  accumulated since the lantern was last lit for its centenary in 1999 Photo: Garry Searle

Fish eye view of Ian cleaning the lens in preparation for its relighting Photo: Garry Searle

The enormous Fresnel lens alight once more Photo: Garry Searle

I left the Clifford family to the comfortable cottages and drove on to Green Cape lightstation at Eden, arriving early hours of the morning. Despite the hour, the amateur radio operators were still up talking to the other side of the globe. Green Cape is another light that has been replaced by a scaffolding tower.

Next morning, it was wonderful waking up and looking down the hallway to the ocean just outside. With Steve Merson relieving the caretakers and the radio operators also staying on-site, the stay was a very social and enjoyable one, with the home-made scones the highlight. A lot of lighthouse cottages are starkly furnished, but the caretakers at Green Cape have done a great job, adding the final touches that have turned the cottages here into a 'home-away-from-home'. With this and the stunning scenery, add it to your calendar, you wont be disappointed.

Steve Merson, on another stint as relief caretaker at Green Cape, wheels flags to the tower to be hoisted to the top Photo: Garry Searle

The flags sail in the wind, celebrating the International Lighthouse weekend Photo: Garry Searle

Even though the Green Cape lens was not relit to mark ILLW, the internal lights of the tower shine brightly in the darkness Photo: Garry Searle

Email Garry Searle

Footnote: Many more of Garry's outstanding photos can be seen on his ILLW 2005 website. Note for those people on dial-up connections: the photos on his site have been left at full size to maximise quality, so may take a little while to download.

The radio enthusiasts pose in front of the Green Cape tower Photo: Steve Merson

Green Cape

by Steve Merson, LoA Editor (& relief caretaker at Green Cape Lighthouse during ILLW)

A small group of amateur radio operators set up their equipment and hung aerials from the tower at Green Cape Lightstation on the far south coast of NSW, and transmitted all weekend, successfully making contact with all but 2-3 of the Australian lighthouses listed on the official site (26 lighthouses in total), as well as nearly 100 operators worldwide!

Radio operators Albert Wilson and Gavin Barnes Photo: Garry Searle

Albert Wilson, callsign VK3KLB, and his wife Kay, residents of the Sapphire Coast, met up at with Gavin Barnes, callsign VK3VTX, and his wife Karen from Teesdale in Victoria, and a member of Ballarat Amateur Radio Group - Ken, callsign VK3HKR, and his wife Toni, with other friends Dave and Hazel Barge to make ILD & ILLW a memorable event. 

Radio operators Albert Wilson and Gavin Barnes contacting other lighthouses around the the world Photo: Steve Merson

The Merimbula office of NSW Parks & Wildlife Service advertised the event on radio and in the paper, but the wet and cold conditions early on Saturday might've deterred a lot of people from coming down the track to visit. However, a few adventurous souls did arrive to tour the lighthouse and be amazed at voices from Boston, San Francisco, Spain, Italy coming through loud and clear on the HF radio sets in a caravan next to the lighthouse. The guests in the cottages were very social, the weather improved dramatically, and the whole weekend proved to be quite successful for all those involved there.

The International Association of Lighthouse Keepers organised International Lighthouse Day (ILD) to open up lighthouses to the public, and International Lightship & Lighthouse Weekend (ILLW) was conceived to promote public awareness of lighthouses and lightships and their need for preservation and restoration, to promote amateur radio, and to foster international goodwill. At Green Cape NSW, this was achieved.

Email Steve Merson

Cape Otway

by Denise Shultz, LoA President & Kristie Eggleston, LoA Webmaster

This year's ILLW get-together for Victorian members was at Cape Otway Lighthouse on the south-west coast of Victoria, and was attended by Kristie Eggleston and her sister Jen, and Denise Shultz and her husband, Paul.

Peter Hill, author of "Stargazing"  Peter gave readings and answered questions about his book of memoirs as a lighthouse keeper in Scotland during the 1970s, in the Cape Otway Telegraph Station Photo: Kristie Eggleston

Although they were flying the banner for Lighthouses of Australia by themselves, they had great fun socialising and talking to other lighthouse enthusiasts - Peter Hill, author of Stargazing, lighthouse child and historian Malcolm Brack, the manager of Cape Otway lighthouse Paul Thompson, the owner Jenny Bowker, the assistant manager Craig Donahoo, amateur radio operators John Laan and Gerard Werner, as well as the Victorian Colonial Infantry members and the Morse Codian Society's Peter Shaw.

The LoA stalwarts spent a great deal of time poring over historical photos in the prized possession of Malcolm Brack, who lived at Cape Otway lighthouse as a child, and continues to work at the station taking weather observations for the Bureau of Meteorology.

After having wandered around the station for many hours, talking to people, taking photographs, listening to the book readings, watching the Morse code demonstrations, live music and historical re-enactments, it was time to finally climb the tower. 

All is quiet at sunset at the Cape after a busy ILLW Photo: Kristie Eggleston

We spent another hour in the lighthouse talking to Craig, climbing in and out of the lens, photographing and discovering the appearance of the virtual (reverted) image through the bull's eye. As dusk came, the sun dipped below the horizon, lighting the prisms in a brilliant golden glow. By the time we descended the tower, the sun had set and it proved to be quite a mission to actually get out of the area after closing time.

Kristie set up a stall to sign up new members and sell back copies of Prism. A more successful outcome might've been achieved if more members had attended to assist and promote LoA Inc. and enjoy the socialising with the people who run the show at Cape Otway.

The success of lighthouse management and raising the profile of LoA Inc. is largely dependant on the support of the public and interested members. It's a pity more people could not make it - you would have had a great time, just like us.

Email Denise Shultz or Kristie Eggleston

Point Hicks

by Steve Merson, Chief Editor

Point Hicks Lighthouse Photo: Winsome Bonham

East Gippsland Radio Group (EGRG) was operating at Point Hicks lighthouse, (AUS 133, callsign VK3EG).

EGRG commenced listening and transmitting at 0001 UTC on Saturday and finished at 2359 UTC on Sunday.

The East Gippsland Radio Group Members were: Maurie VK3VLR and wife Linda VK3VLS, Des VK3DMP, Mark VK3MOA, Rhett VK3HAP, Rob VK3EK and wife Maxine.

This is the third time EGRG have activated Pt Hicks lighthouse. Rob Ashlin is President of the East Gippsland Radio Group, based in Bairnsdale in eastern Victoria. Rob is one of a team of eight amateur radio operators who, in their activation and promotion of Point Hicks lighthouse, support LoA Inc. in the preservation and promotion of Australian lighthouses.

View the website at http://www.vk3eg.org. Members can generally be contacted on 3.595MHz most evenings.

Postal address 
PO Box 688, Bairnsdale VIC, 3875 
Email Rob Ashlin